C Mantz Running

       XC- I was hoping for an easy day, but it was quite the opposite.  We did a .75 mile warm up, and then sat and listened to the workout/lecture for a 10 minutes, which wasn't the best idea.  We then got up and did 70m sprints.  I ran these with Steve Scott the whole time and I never beat him.  We did 6 of them witha 130m cool down and then an extra lap. Then we did 4X400m timed, with 400 cool down.  I wasn't feelng too bad during these, except for the last one.   I ran these at 61, 63(got boxed in during this one) 57(Tyson almost passed me in this one.)  61(I just felt like crap during this one)  We then did an extra lap for cool down after out first cool down lap.  We did some stretches and core workouts.  When I got home I did an extra lap after drinking about a gallon of water and eating some food.  This mile gave me a sideache, but I needed the extra mile.

      6 easy. Just for some miles.  I could still feel the workouts from the past few days.

      I was going to do some sprints today, but didn't have a lot of time.  I missed practice, so I had to come up with my own workout.  So I did the usual 5 mile tempo run.  I ran it in 28:05, so not my fastest, but still surprising with how much I've been running this week.  My second mile was my slowest, which is surprising becuase my 5th has an uphill that goes up about 100 feet, maybe more for the first quarter of it.  I felt pretty good, but not the best. 

       8 miles easy.  I felt pretty good during them.   Went a bit faster then I probably should have for the easy miles.  After I waited and later watched the 10,000m.  Great day.

       XC- Most of the people I run with on the XC team are taking a week off so they feel great during the season, so I was running alone for most of this run.  During the first mile I pushed it to catch up to Dylan.  I stayed with him during the next 3.  He was going slower because of his knee, but he would increase his pace a bit whenever his knee felt better.  When we hit the turn around point I told them I was going to push til the end and ended up running the rest a bit slower than I wanted and also by myself.  alright tempo run.

      I went on a five mile tempo run up the canyon with a mile cool down afterward.  I got a PR on my last mile.  I averaged a 5:25 pace, which either I haven't done or haven't done in a long time.  I felt pretty good during it. 

      Coach said to take a short mental break before the season so I wasn't going to run, but I just didn't have anything to do this morning when everyone else was asleep.  I went for a mile, then went 3.5 miles with my sister.

     XC- I went to XC feeling pretty ready for a hard hill workout or something like that.  Instead it was an easy tempo 5 mile run.  Most of the guys are still taking the week off.  I ran with Dylan and pushed him for 2 or 3 miles.  He said his knee is alright today, hopefully it stays that way. 

       I went for a 8 mile tempo run.  My goal was to get under a 47, because I didn't feel 100% and I still felt like a tempo run.  My goals to pace myself were to run my first mile in the low 5's.  I ran it around a 5:01.  My next goal was to run just under a 6 min. mile so my last mile could be a 7 min. and I would end up at 47.  Well I ran up the canyon a but slower then I wanted, but I pushed the downhill and ended up running a 40 min. 7 mile.  I pushed the last mile and had a 6 min. mile so beat my goal by a minute.  1 mile cool down

       AM-XC-5.5 with core workout after.  I felt like running hard. We did golf course extended backwards.  Tyler was there, but he cut off near the end to put in some more miles.  We ran as a group for the first mile or two, then Dylan decided to go a bit faster and I just kept up with him.  He said his knee hasn't felt this good since his freshman year.  After the trail we regrouped and  then we hit a hill and Dylan went off again.  I caught him, but as soon as I did my shoe became untied.  He later came back with everyone.  I ran the last downhill with Steve. 

     PM-I hadn't showered and I didn't have much to do, so I decided today would be a great day to break in my flats.  I don't know exactly how much I ran, it was just on the grass at Sky View but it was for a long time and I think it was around 4 miles.  I put the spikes in and just ran on the grass.  It felt pretty good.

     Just easy run.  Getting ready for the Blue and White meet tomorrow. 

         XC-We had our blue and white meet today(meet for Sky View).  I wasn't going to consider this as a race, but how I ran it felt like one.  I did a mile warm up and then some accelerations with Tyler, who came to do some running with us.  Coach said go and we started after.  I went out kinda hard, but not like an all out sprint.  I was thinking about slowing down and running with the group, but I just kept running.  About 500m into it I looked back and saw that Tyler wasn't running this to pace Nick, but as a race.  He ran with me for the rest of the first mile, but never really passed me.  Our first mile split was 5:24 or somewhere around there.  Slower then I would've liked for how I was feeling, but that's alright.   I kept running with Tyler and I tried to gap him during the second and third mile.  We ran our second mile pretty close and that was at 10:38 or around there.  I knew there wasn't much time left and that Tyler has an amazing kick so I gapped him this mile as much as I could.  He ended up being around 10 sec, maybe less behind me.  Later I did a mile cool down with Tyler and Tyson.  We had some good performaces this meet.  Looks like we'll have a good season. 

       5 mile tempo run with a mile cool down.  I felt great, surprisingly after what I ran yesterday.  My splits: 5:11(downhill, and slower then usual) 5:49(uphill, but slower then usual) 5:36(around regular pace. Maybe a bit faster.  Uphill then a downhill.)  5:24(good pace for this mile.  downhill) 5:40(Fast for this mile. uphill.) 

Did a mile warm up for the first part, then we did beast/hill at mack park repeats. We do hill repeats on two different hills in the run. We did 4 sets of it. On Beast I was ahead of everyone but Tyler, except for the first time when I was ahead of Tyler. On the other hill I never got a good start, but ran alright, but not as fast as I should've gone. I really felt yesterday's run in there. We then did a mile cool down back to the school.

         Easy with my dad up at City of Rocks.  Averaged a 6:50 or so mile pace on the way down.  We dropped around a LOT of elevation.  He called my brother to make sure everything was alright and I didn't want to stop so I went for another mile and a half or so.  Then he went up and I caught him half way up.  Really slow on the way up. 

       AM-  XC- 6 We did a speed workout today.  Mile repeats, not my favorite thing to do.  We did a mile and a bit warm up.  On our first I really pushed it, going for a sub-5, which I thought I did, but I'm not sure because I still haven't got a watch since I left mine at the BYU invite in track.  Second one I was around a 5:10sh.  Under 5:20.  3rd one Steve pushed me for the first half, but I didn't feel like I pushed it much after that, but Tyson timed me for this one and said I got a 5:04.  Last one I wasn't even going to do, but coach said I should atleast do a half, but then the gusy convinced me to do a full.  Did about a quarter mile cool down for this one.  I had a 5:20 pace for the last one, or atleast that is where Nick Batty said he had me(I might've been a bit slower).  Good workout, I didn't feel 100%, but it was a good workout.  About a half mile cool down or so afterward. 

     PM- 3 I felt like running and I knew we weren't doing a hard workout tomorrow and I wouldn't have time to run after practice so I ran tonight at 9.  3 miles easy.

     AM-XC- Easy day.  2 miles easy and then a game that involved sprinting, and then we did a mile back to the school.  I went easy with friend who might start XC. 

      I didn't have a lot of time to run today, so I woke up at 5:20 AM and did my paper route early, then I went on a run.  Tempo by myself.  Coach said a 2-3 mile tempo and 5 miles overall, but I wasn't too happy with my first 2 miles, so I kept going until I knew it wouldn't affect my race too much and I was satisfied.  I ran 4 miles in 21:56, which isn't my best, but it is a good workout before Friday.  A mile cool down. 

    XC-About a mile and a bit warm up, then we did 3 accalerations, which surprised me, I never ran any speed work in track the day before a meet.  Sadly that is because during track I would be running and training myself for most of it until the end when I finally got the workouts, but even then I was running alone most of the time.  Sugarhouse Park, here I come, not as strong as I was at state, but hopefully stronger then this time last year. 

      Well, this race turned out way differently then I was expecting.  We got there, did some accelerations, and got to the race a bit late, where I had my first stride as a sprint to the start.  They went over rules, and I was just thinking I am not mentally here, but I need to be.  When the gun went off I actually had to fight and get around some kids.  These guys were using their elbows and everything.  I got to the front with Garrett Marsing and just ran that first bit.  I forgot about the course, and soon found out why I need to review.  About a ways out from the start I heard people say wrong way.  When I heard this I started turning right onto another part of the race, and about 15 sec or so later I found out I was definately going the wrong way.  So I sprinted straight into where I ran off course(so they wouldn't get DQ'ed for cutting a flag) and I sprinted my way to the front for that first mile.  There was a group of 4 guys(Ben, Jordon, Andrew, and another guy(later found out to be michael Finch)) and I went with them for a ways, but couldn't hold on to that pace for to much longer and stayed about 5 sec. behind them for most of the race.  At the end I almost caught Andrew Brewer in a sprint, but he held me off.  I finished at a time I really wanted, but I wanted to break a 15 if I was that close.  Later we did a mile barefoot cool down.  I didn't get DQed.  Our team ran fast, but everyone else did also and we took 6th. 

     I went an watched the half marathon this morning.  I got to see a lot of people and chat with Jake, Steve and a few others from the blog.  I saw my dad, sister and friend Wes get PR's so that was cool to watch.  Later at about 1 I went for an 8 mile run.  I didn't go too fast, which was how I was going to run it, but I felt like crap because I ate some ice cream earlier today and that's all I had eaten. 

     AM- 5 mile tempo.  I was hoping for a faster time, but didn't have any warm up and my first mile was about 20 sec slower then it is usually, and that's a big difference when the mile is always your fastest.  28:30sh, I can't remember exactly and I don't want to get my ipod to check.

    PM- I could definatly feel this morning, Saturday's and Friday's run here today.  We did a 1200m warm up, and then did some repeats of that course.  400m start of the race and then 400m race pace and 400m cool down.  I went out pretty well the first two or three, but after that it was just a goal to finish it.  After the 5th one I was complaining about water and so we went and got some water and I didn't really feel too much better.  We did one more full one, and then a 500m sprint the last time.  Then we did a 1200m cool down.  This is one of those workouts I'm happy I had a team pushing me, because if they weren't behind me I would've slowed the last 3 down a lot.  Also they pushed me to doing as many as I did.  Good workout day. 

      I wasn't able to go to XC today and I had to go to a dentist appointment.  I ran to it(.5 miles, weird running with two backpacks) and then after gave them to my brother and then ran home, which is around 3 miles, maybe less. 

       I felt pretty good during the meet, I knew my main competition was going to be Adam Hendrikson, who would have been my biggest rival in 4A if he didn't have an injury during track season.  I was still a bit sore from Monday, but I felt great after.  We did around a mile warm up trying to figure out the course, and then a mile cool down after the race. 

    They started the race with a guy saying "bang."  I had a good start.  I almost missed a turn, but my coach was right there telling me where to go.  I probably lost 2 seconds, but it didn't change my race at all.  We then were going into the wind on a dirt course, so I just hid behind Adam here and let him do a bunch of the work.  After we ended on the trail, I passed him and went from the road to another dirt and rock trail.  On the trail it was a very rocky course.  We went around campgrounds, on bridges, on a fourwheeler trail, and a lot of other terrains in this meet.  I kept Adam about the same distance behind me most of the way, until the end I grabbed a bit more ground on him.  I felt really good afterward.  Our team did well also, and it was pretty competitive between a few guys on it.  Overall it was a fun meet.  I did about a mile cool down with some of the team, and then with Tyson.  After we left and I got home I put in 3 more miles.  Now to focus on Murry.

      Early morning XC today.  We ran a tempo pace for the first few miles up Smithfield Canyon, and then eased it the whole way down.   Right before the school Kyler started speeding up so I did too, and same with Tyson.  Friendly little race at the end.  Felt amazing for the whole day. 

     PM- I've decided to start doing some more miles now, so I can build up for footlocker in Dec.  So today I found out that the Highland course was short, so it motivated me to go for a run.  5 miles, 31 minutes (+ or - a minute).  My legs hurt from the last few days.  Well, tomorrow will probably be some repeats, so I bet I'm going to hurt then, but it'll get me faster. 

      XC- 300-400m hill repeats. I need to measure Beast(that's the name of the hill) to be sure.  We did 10 sprints up it, and 1 time of going up it easy to recover.  I wasn't feeling at all like the best today, but today I still ended up running in front of everyone for 7 of them.  After I had a bad headache after the repeats.  We had a little over a mile warm up and a mile cool down.  I bearly finished the last one.  I wasn't going to do it, but Nick Batty said to stay with him and to push halfway through, and while it still hurt like heck going at his pace, I'm happy I did.  I'm happy I got such a great team to push me in every workout.